Botti Will Probe Mayor Complaint

Oakbrook Terrace: — The City Council on Tuesday named Oak Brook lawyer and former DuPage County Board Chairman Aldo Botti to review ethics complaints involving Mayor William Kallas.

Botti will be paid $150 an hour to rule on whether Kallas broke ethics guidelines last year. Kallas is accused of accepting campaign contributions last year that exceeded the $150 maximum and of giving local businesses a break on the cost of vehicle stickers. Under Oakbrook Terrace's year-old ethics ordinance, city attorney Ken Kubiesa must decide on the validity of a complaint.

Last month, Kubiesa concluded the city did not have the power to supersede state laws governing campaign contributions and recommended the city delete that part of the ethics ordinance. He also suggested that the county state's attorney's office could deal with the vehicle sticker complaints.

The state's attorney's office, however, reportedly has had no interest in pursuing the vehicle sticker allegations.

As his opinion was being rendered late last month, Kubiesa was coming under fire for having donated money to Kallas' political organization. He subsequently removed himself as the city's legal counsel for the complaint.

Botti's selection as reviewer, however, might raise more questions, because he also has contributed to Kallas' political organization.